One question I am often asked is if fever is bad for a child. Fever is the body’s way to better fight off infection and rev up the body’s immune system, so fevers are actually good for children when it comes to getting rid of the germs that might be causing an infection. Another common concern is that fevers over 104 degrees Fahrenheit are dangerous and cause brain damage. Actually, fevers over 108 have been shown to cause brain damage – but that is due to extreme environmental temperatures, not infections. Fevers due to infection never climb high enough to cause brain injury on the basis of the heat generated.

Another concern I hear is that untreated fevers will cause convulsions. Febrile seizures occur in only about 4% of children, and while scary to watch, if the seizure is solely due to a fever, it causes no permanent harm, nor does it increase the risk for developmental delay, learning disabilities, or seizures without fever.

Parents also worry that the exact number on the thermometer is a problem. Actually the number is only of interest in infants less than two months old, when we do want to know about temperatures above 100.4.F. Over that age, it is not the number, but what your child looks and acts like that is important. Of course, if you are concerned about the health of a baby without a fever under a month or two of age – because of some issue with their feeding, breathing, or they aren’t acting properly – that also warrants a call to your pediatrician.

As to treatment, be aware that acetaminophen or ibuprofen should only be used to treat the discomfort of fever and should not be given automatically, since fever helps rid your child’s body of the infection.

Bottom line: fever is our friend, and if you are concerned about your child with or without a high fever, please talk to your child’s doctor.

Hopefully tips like this will burn brightly in your minds so you can stay calm, cool, and collected the next time your child has a fever.

Lewis First, M.D., is chief of Pediatrics at Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. You can also catch "First with Kids" weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and WPTZ Channel 5, or visit the First with Kids video archives at http://www.FletcherAllen.org/firstwithkids